American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, who is blind since birth, was named on Thursday at the UN Headquarters in New York a UN Messenger of Peace with a special focus on helping people with disabilities.
"It is truly an honor beyond any that I have ever imagined could happen in a lifetime," Wonder told reporters at a press conference here, where he was introduced by UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to observe the International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
Dec. 3 marks the International Day where an estimated one person in four around the world are affected by a disability.
"It makes no sense to me, approaching 2010 in this new millennium, that we have people in the world that just because they can't see, we have not made this world accessible to them," Wonder said.
"It makes no sense to me that a person who may be deaf is not able to have accessibility in a way that is possible, when we are traveling in
space -- not just to the moon but beyond," he said. " It's unacceptable."
"At the end of the day ... if I have to write a song, it's gonna be a No. 1," he said as he explained that he would treat his appointment as a challenge -- just like writing a song. "We're gonna win on this one, too."
The songwriter, who has won 25 Grammy awards, is being recognized for his years of philanthropy, which included his work with the U.S. President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Children's Diabetes
Foundation and Junior Blind of America.
"We all know Stevie Wonder is a musical genius whose songs have given pleasure and hope to millions of people around the world," Ban said. "He's also a great humanitarian, who has campaigned against apartheid, for children in need, and for persons with disabilities."
"We're very lucky to have him join our fight for disability rights," Ban said. "All of us at the United Nations look forward to working with
Stevie Wonder."
As the 11th UN Messenger of Peace, Stevie Wonder joins the prestigious list of figures, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, actors George Clooney and Michael Douglas, conductor Daniel Barenboim and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.